Chapter 138: Elvira

The three days Alyssa spent with Dorian in the sanctuary cave were the best moments of her entire life. It was one of those rare, precious pockets of time where she could finally allow herself to forget the looming threats, the secrets, the burden of her past, and simply exist in the present.

But time moved at an unforgiving speed when one was happy. She wished that they could remain in this hidden haven forever, just the two of them.

On the morning of their departure, she woke to a warm, tingling sensation on her bare chest. Her eyelashes fluttered open as the soft fog of sleep gradually cleared from her mind.

Bright sunlight poured through the skylight. Her eyes lazily tracked a pair of tiny butterflies fluttering around the opening, dancing through the golden dust motes in the sunbeams.

Dorian wasn’t beside her, but she didn’t panic. A warm smile curved her lips as she looked down at the covers draped over her body. She could clearly make out the muscular outline of his shoulders hidden beneath the sheets.

Suddenly, she felt his mouth close around her nipple, and a sharp gasp hitched in her throat. She pulled the covers down, her smile widening as his eyes met hers from between her breasts. He flashed her a soft, charming smile.

"Good morning, my love," he murmured, his deep voice thick with morning air.

She wrapped her hands around his jaw and gently pulled his face up until his lips met hers in a deep kiss.

"Good morning," she whispered against his mouth, nuzzling into the curve of his arms as he slid up beside her. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while," he answered, trailing a line of soft, feathery kisses along the column of her neck while one large hand lazily palmed her breast. "I didn’t want to wake you. I know how exhausted you were after last night."

Alyssa let out a soft chuckle, her eyes drifting shut with a contented sigh. Last night was intense. She had thought their first night in the pool was impossible to beat, yet Dorian had proved her wrong by making every single night wilder and more intoxicating than the last.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, lifting his head to gaze into her eyes.

"I slept perfectly," she whispered back. "I could easily get used to waking up like this every single day."

Dorian laughed softly, pressing his face into the side of her neck. "As much as I don’t want to say this, we have to head back. I didn’t bring my phone, and with the distance between us and the territory, Jake can’t reach me through the mind link. He’s probably out of his mind with worry."

"Do we have to?" Alyssa whined softly, pouting up at him. "I love it here with you. I don’t want to go back yet."

Dorian reached up, his palms framing her face. "I promise you, we will come back here. Just you and me. But remember, we have a kingdom to rule. Wintercrest cannot function without its King and Queen."

Alyssa let out a soft sigh. She wanted to savor this sacred bubble as long as possible, where it was just the two of them, making passionate love through the night and flying above the clouds during the day.

Yet she understood the reality. A kingdom left without its rulers for too long would breed rumors, and with everything that has been happening, she didn’t want to add to it.

"Promise me," she insisted. "Promise me we’ll come back again."

Dorian firmly kissed her lips and smiled affectionately. "I promise, my love. Soon. And you know I never break my promise to you."

She nodded, leaning in to press one final kiss to his jaw before rolling out of the bed. Standing naked before him, she stretched slowly, completely aware of Dorian’s burning gaze pinned directly to her bare body.

"Are you intentionally trying to seduce me, Mrs. Hellborne?" he teased, leaning back against the pile of pillows as his eyes shamelessly roamed over her curvy build.

Alyssa turned her head, flashing him a smile over her shoulder. "Maybe I am, husband," she laughed. "Is it working?"

Dorian grinned, his golden eyes heating up. "You know damn well it’s working. What do you think?"

Her gaze boldly dropped down his muscular torso, landing on the thick ridge straining against the covers between his thighs. His erection stood hard and erect beneath the sheet, pulsing and jerking under her gaze.

Her eyes swept back up, locking onto his with playful boldness. "I guess someone is very happy to see me."

Dorian’s playful expression instantly shifted into something dark and fierce. "Keep talking like that, little lamb, and I’m going to throw you back onto this bed and fuck you until your legs give out."

A sudden surge of heat shot straight to Alyssa’s core at his raw, filthy promise. She loved it when he spoke to her with that possessive edge.

"Maybe that’s exactly what I’m asking for," she replied with a cheeky grin. "Why don’t you be a good boy and come take me?"

The instant those words left her mouth, Dorian’s eyes blazed with a terrifying, hungry fire. He launched himself off the bed, ripping the covers aside in one fluid motion.

"With pleasure," he growled out.

Alyssa spun around and sprinted down the passage, her laughter echoing off the cavern walls. She didn’t even make it to the edge of the pool before Dorian closed the distance between them.

He caught her from behind, his strong arms wrapping tightly around her waist, and leaped straight into the pool with her. When they surfaced, his mouth slammed onto hers in a wet, hungry kiss.

Holding her pinned against the pool’s ledge, he fucked her with deep, unhurried thrusts, whispering her name and confessing his love over and over again.

When they finally shattered together, her legs clamped tight around his hips, their bodies merged as one as the ripples of their shared climax washed through them.

...

For the journey back to the estate, Alyssa chose to ride on Shadow’s back.

She lay flat along his massive back, her fingers buried deep in his soft fur as he bounded effortlessly through the forest, carrying them swiftly toward the main territory.

But as they drew close, an uneasy sensation settled deep in her chest; a cold feeling of foreboding.

They arrived at the mansion well past noon. The perimeter guards lowered their heads in respectful bows as Shadow bounded through the gates and into the long driveway.

From a distance, Alyssa’s eyes immediately caught on an unfamiliar vehicle parked directly in front of the main entrance.

The front doors swung open, and Jake stepped out, followed by Alec, Anthony, Pandora, and Henna.

Shadow slowed to a stop and lowered his massive form so Alyssa would dismount easily. She slid down his side, adjusting her shorts just as Pandora and Henna rushed toward her.

"Oh goddess, are you alright?" Pandora gasped out, throwing her arms around Alyssa in a tight hug.

"I’m fine," Alyssa said, her brow furrowing in confusion as she pulled back. "Dorian just took me away for a few days."

"We were sick with worry," Henna added. "No one could reach the Alpha through the link."

"We just needed some time to ourselves," Alyssa explained, a faint smile attempting to smooth out her frown. But as she looked at the two women, the dread written across their features made her blood run cold. "Why do you two look like that?"

A few paces away, Dorian had already shifted back into his human form. He started to step forward, but stopped dead in his tracks when he caught the grim expressions on the faces of his trusted men. Jake, Alec, and Anthony looked as though they were bearing bad news.

"What is this?" he demanded sharply. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"Alpha, I don’t know how to tell you this," Jake began, his jaw tight, his eyes darting uneasily toward the open front doors.

His hesitation instantly set Dorian’s temper on edge. "Spit it out, Jake! What the hell happened?"

Before Jake could utter another word, a delicate female voice echoed from the shadow of the doorway.

"Dorian? Oh, goddess, Dorian! It’s really you."

Dorian froze.

The sound of that voice made him feel like he had been struck by lightning. His heart slammed against his ribs, his breath locking instantly in his throat. He would recognize that voice anywhere in the world, even after years of grief.

Slowly, he turned his head toward the porch. His eyes locked onto a slender blonde woman running down the steps toward him, tears streaming down her face.

Shock seized him. Deep within his mind, Shadow and Soren suddenly erupted into a violent, chaotic frenzy, clawing against the walls of his consciousness.

He took one trembling step forward, his face completely drained of color, his voice a barely audible whisper of pure disbelief.

"Elvira?"